Black coaches appeared set to be frozen out from the ranks of NFL head coaches hired this season, already missing out on six of the seven available vacancies. Enter David Culley.
Late Wednesday night, word surfaced that the Houston Texans had extended an offer to the former assistant head coach of the Ravens and he accepted. With that hire, Culley, 65, not only became the first Black head coach hired in the NFL in 2021 but he also achieved a crowning achievement in a decorated coaching career that has spanned over four decades.
Culley received his first coaching experience at Austin Peay, tutoring the running backs in 1978. Over the next 15 years he made stops at his alma matter, Vanderbilt, Texas El-Paso and Texas A&M. In 1994, he entered the profession coaching ranks as a wide receivers coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He then held jobs with the Steelers, Eagles, Chiefs, Bills and Ravens before finally receiving his big chance with the Texans.
“David is just a genuine guy,” said Ravens head coach John Harbaugh in a text to ESPN’s Ed Werder. “He will be who he is every day. Has been that guy every day of his career. I’m thrilled for him. Great person. Genuine. Full of energy.”
Ironically, David Culley is no stranger to history. He was the first Black quarterback at Vanderbilt in the 1970s, recruited there by legendary NFL coach, Bill Parcells. In addition, he’s also the oldest first-time head coach in NFL history.
When news of Culley’s imminent hire started circulating, social media dug in to find out more about him. The prevailing question was “Is he Black?” The answer to that is yes, and he’s now the third Black head coach in the NFL behind the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin and the Dolphins’ Brian Flores.
But then the jokes started about Culley not being Black enough and that his hiring equated to Deshaun Watson’s exit from the team. While he’s the only Black NFL head coach hired this year, the Texans have more problems that need to be solved now that their head coach has been found, Watson’s happiness being one of them. And yes, he is of a lighter shade, but so what. The man has paid his dues, already made history, and now has an opportunity (an extremely challenging one at that) to turn things around for a franchise that has been marred in ridicule since their former coach, Bill O’Brien, made that horrendous trade of DeAndre Hopkins.
The Ravens, meanwhile, lose a coach but actually gained manpower. Due to the NFL’s resolution for incentivizing teams to develop and hire minority candidates for head coaching and general manager position, they will now receive two third-round compensatory picks (one this year and one in 2022).
Culley’s hire will not bring the Texans a Super Bowl victory in 2022. But give him a chance. And instead of joking about David Culley’s skin tone, let’s celebrate him, and the other Black coaches hired this year, for making history in 2021.
Celebrate him again, that is.
